320 
April 25 
FARMERS’ CLUB 
[Every query must be accompanied by 
the name and address of the writer to In¬ 
sure attention. Before asking a question, 
please see whether it Is not answered in 
our advertising columns. Ask only a few 
questions at one time. Put questions on a 
separate piece of paper.] 
Asparagus'Rust; Grafting Apples. 
A. G., Oolfcwah, Tmn.—l. When is the 
proper time to begin spraying for Aspara¬ 
gus rust? How often through the grrow- 
ing season should the Bordeaux be applied, 
and what strength of the mixture is best? 
2. When should apples be top-grafted to 
get the best results? How late in the sea¬ 
son can It be done successfully? 3. What 
varieties of Fall and Winter apples would 
you recommend for my location, a sandy 
mountain top, 800 feet above the valley, in 
east Tennessee? I grow asparagus and 
peaches to perfection and a few inferior 
varieties of apples do well, but I am seek¬ 
ing to replace them with better sorts. 
Ans.— 1. The middle of July is about 
the right time to spray asparagus for 
the prevention of rust, but a sharp watch 
should he kept for the first indication for 
two or three previous weeks. Use four 
pounds each of copper sulphate and lime 
to 50 gallons of water, and spray through 
a fine nozzle, or the solution will not 
stick well. Spraying should be repeated 
at intervals of 15 days or after every 
hard rain to be effective. 2. Apples may 
be top-grafted when in bloom or after, 
but the scions must be quite dormant. 
The best time is probably when the leaf 
buds of the stock show the first green 
tips. 3. Missouri Pippin and Stayman 
would probably be the most profitable 
apples for your locality. There are some 
excellent Winter apples of Tennessee 
origin which you can learn about by in¬ 
quiring of your Agricultural Experiment 
Station at Knoxville. 
Postage Rates for Rural Delivery. 
U. O. M., Massachusetts.—"WiW you publish 
the Post Office rules of postage for drop 
letters in towns where part of the town 
only has a rural delivery? Of course, one 
that goes on the route pays two cents. 
Suppose a rural delivery patron writes to 
one in the village, not to be delivered; our 
postmaster says there is some misunder¬ 
standing when first started. 
Ans. —Edwin C. Madden, Third As¬ 
sistant Postmaster General, sends us the 
following statement; 
“You are informed that the rate of 
postage on drop letters, whether sealed 
or unsealed, is two cents an ounce or 
fraction thereof, when mailed at letter- 
carrier post offices, or when mailed at 
post offices which are not letter-carrier 
offices if rural free delivery has been es¬ 
tablished and the persons addressed can 
be served by rural carrier. The only 
letters deposited in a post office where 
rural delivery service has been estab¬ 
lished, which are entitled to the one- 
oent drop-letter rate of postage, are 
those addressed to persons who cannot 
be served by rural carrier because they 
reside beyond the limits of the rural de¬ 
livery service. Drop letters deposited in 
a post office where neither letter carrier 
nor rural delivery service has been es¬ 
tablished, are chargeable with postage 
at the rate of one cent an ounce or frac¬ 
tion thereof. (See paragraph 4, article 
110, page 982 of the January, 1903, Pos¬ 
tal Guide, which may be consulted at 
your post office.)” 
How to Build a Dam. 
C. B. (No Address).—Will you give me 
some good practical advice as to building 
a dam under the following circumstances: 
I have a small stream of good clear water 
which comes down between two hills, and 
I feel that with a small outlay I can get 
a good pond which will be quite an at¬ 
tractive feature In front of my house, as 
well as a good Investment, as the money 
saved on ice bill will pay for the dam In 
a few years. The dam at the top would 
be about 50 feet long and in the center 
about 12 feet high, going off to practically 
nothing at the sides. I have plenty of 
stone handy and also any timber that 
might be required. Would it be necessary 
to arrange for emptying? I expect to 
stock it with fish. The soil is of a gravelly 
nature. 
Ans. —C. B. requires a pond of consid¬ 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
erable depth, and he will have to build 
a dam of some strength and cost to 
stand permanently. As he says he has 
stone and wood available, the following 
plan will be the best he can adopt, modi¬ 
fied as to dimensions of posts perhaps 
by the amount of flow and the area of 
water shed. Three walls of masonry 
may be built across the line of the dam 
and at right angles to it. These walls 
will be two feet thick with a square 
surface at the apex and with a slope 
up stream of one to one, and the same 
slope down stream. Between the first 
and second walls is built the waste-way, 
and between the second and third the 
sluice gate for emptying pond when de- 
.sired. While it is not necessary to go 
to rock bottom for a foundation for 
these walls, they should be put down to 
a firm bottom at least two feet below the 
surface of the ground. They should be 
well constructed of good building stone, 
and none but the best Portland cement 
used. The waste-way may be construct¬ 
ed of wood on the general plan shown 
in Fig. 115, with a crest two feet below 
the top of walls and a width between 
walls of 10 feet. Its foundation is three 
mud sills connecting the bases of the 
walls—one up stream, one down stream, 
and one in the middle. From the middle 
mud sill a frame is carried as high as 
the waste-way is desired, and from that 
point plank floors slope both up stream 
and down stream, being spiked to the 
respective mud sills. The sluice gate 
may be three feet wide, but this, as well 
as other dimensions, depend upon facts 
not at hand and which can only be ob¬ 
tained by a survey on the ground. It 
sots in a framework which is held by 
projections from the walls. It is recom- 
DAM FOR FISH POND. FlG. 115. 
mended that the sluice-way be walled or 
planked up for one-fourth or one-third 
the distance from the bottom, as the 
pond will probably fill some by deposit 
of sediment, and the gate will be much 
easier to manage If it does not go to so 
great a depth. This woodwork with the 
walls takes up 19 feet of C. B.’s dam in 
the deepest part. On either side, it is 
presumed, the surface rises quickly to 
the ends, and the dam may be complet¬ 
ed to advantage, by earth embankments 
carried as high or a little higher than 
the walls against which they abut. The 
slope of these embankments both up 
stream and down stream should conform 
to that of the walls. Soil-binding grasses 
may be planted on these embankments. 
Also alders and osier willows. If the 
stream is very small and the soil avail¬ 
able for embankment is gravelly and 
porous, the loss of water from seepage 
may be so great as to cause the dam to 
be a failure. A facing of puddled clay 
would be the remedy to this defect 
should it prove to exist. The waste-way 
should be made large enough to carry 
surplus water when the stream is flood¬ 
ed, as much overflow of embankments 
would damage them and allow fish to 
escape. The waste-way is filled with a 
strong wire screen to hold the fish. 
Care should be taken that this does not 
become clogged up witp leaves, etc, A 
screen should also be fitted over the 
sluice-way to prevent escape of fish 
when pond is emptied, grant davis. 
Who Owns a Orange Hall? 
L. C. O., Lincoln, Cal.—If a Grange after 
building a home of its own loses its char¬ 
ter who acquires title to the Grange hall? 
Is it best for the Grange to build its hall? 
If not, what is the best plan? 
Ans. —If the Grange was incorporated 
under the laws of the State I should say 
the hall and ground would belong to the 
members who were in good standing at 
the time the charter was surrendered. 
State Master Norris advises me that the 
property would belong to the members 
even If not incorporated. A public no¬ 
tice must be given each member in writ¬ 
ing who is in good standing. This makes 
their action legal. Any member there¬ 
fore who is not clear on the books of 
the Grange will have no interest in the 
property. Yes, I should say by all means 
build a hall. Running a Grange with¬ 
out a hall is much like boarding out in¬ 
stead of living in a home of your own. 
My observation is that Granges thrive 
and enjoy themselves better when they 
own a hall. A Grange is not unlike an 
individual. Business that increases in¬ 
terest and promotes ambition always 
makes for profit, both mental and fin¬ 
ancial. H. E. COOK. 
Poisoning Gophers.— Prof. E. F. Ladd, 
of the North Dakota Experiment Station, 
thus describes the way to poison gophers: 
“Bring one quart of vinegar to boiling, add 
one ounce of strychnine, stir with a stick 
until fully dissolved and then add six 
quarts of hot water. Pour this on 20 
pounds of wheat or corn and allow to stand 
for about 18 hours, or until the solution is 
entirely absorbed, but the mass must be 
frequently stirred vigorously so that it will 
become uniformly saturated with the 
poison. The grain should now be spread 
out to dry. where it cannot be reached by 
animals or children, for you have a highly 
poisonous grain. Now dissolve six pounds 
of sugar in six quarts of water and boil 
until one gallon remains and then allow to 
cool. When cold add one tablespoon of 
anise oil (can be had at any drug store), 
You now have a thick syrup which should 
be poured over the nearly dry poisoned 
grain and the whole stirred so as to cover 
each grrain with a layer of syrup. Allow 
the grain to dry thoroughly, stirring so as 
to prevent its sticking in a mass. The 
odor of anise oil is very attractive to the 
gopher, and each kernel should contain 
enough poison to destroy one gopher. This 
sugar-coated grain can be used at any 
time, but great care should be taken to 
prevent any possible poisoning of birds or 
animals. A little of this grain buried near 
each gopher burrow will be pretty sure 
to attract and destroy its victim.” 
For the land’s sake, use Bowker’s Fer¬ 
tilizers. They enrich the earth.— Adv. 
Cheap Trees and Plants 
So, 000 Peach Trees, No. 1 stock, $8 ^ lOO 
5,000 Apple Trees, No. 1 stock, $12 loo 
6,000 Pear Trees, No. 1 stock, $12 lOO 
50,000 Strawberry Plants, - $3 lOO 
50,000 Asparagus “ 2-y.old, $5 1000 
All above trees and plants in best varieties 
aud free from scale or disease of any kind. 
Stock in best condition for planting. 
T. J. DWYER & SON, 
Orange County Nurseries. CORNWALL,, N. Y. 
Wood’s Farm Seeds. 
Cow Peas 
and 
Soja Beans 
Two of the most important crops 
.for farmers everywhere. Write for 
leaflets entitled “ Soja Beans vs. 
Com ” and “ Cow Peas—^The 
Clover of The South,” giving 
special information about these 
crops. We carry large stocks of aU 
SEASONABLE FARH SEEDS, 
Seed Corn, flillet. Sorghums, 
Teosinte, Late Seed Pota¬ 
toes, Crimson Clover, 
Buckwheat, etc. 
Wood’s Seed Book and Special Circu¬ 
lars giving prices and seasonable in¬ 
formation, mailed free. 
T.W. Wood & Sons, Seedsmen, 
RICHMOND, - VIRfilNIA. 
A AUf DC I A— Delivered at your station for t1 fiO 
wUWf rCAv a bushel. Apple and Pear Trees 
$8 a 100. John W.C. Pullen,Nurseryman, Milford,Del. 
Cow Peas 
—NEW ERA. C. C. BUOWX, 
Bridgeville, Del. 
Haul Moihnrl blanching celery, used 
nbW IViCUIUll with anV system of culture. Perfect 
blanching; no rot or rust. No bruising or breaking 
in handling; one-third expense of boards or earth. 
50c. by mail. for best bunch of celery by this 
method. B. L. MADDEN, Perry, Ohio. 
kept dormant till May 15. Peach 
I Trees 1 year from bud, 1 and 2c. each. 
* Also, I’ear. Quince and Japan Plum. 
Circular free. R. S. JOHNSTON, Box 4, Stockley, Del- 
400,000 TREES 
and PLANTS at Wholesale Prices. Appie, Pear, 
Cherry and Peach trees, $8.00 per 100. Cat. Free. 
RELIANCE NURSERY, Box 10, Geneva, N. Y. 
THE TREE OF LIFE "N 
Is one budded upon a branched root seedling, buds 
taken from bearing trees, grown upon the famous 
Michigan fruit land, dug by our root protecting 
tree digger and handled In our mammoth storage 
cellars. Small fruits aud everything in nursery 
and greenhouse lines true to name at wholesale 
prices. tST We guarantee safe delivery. 
Catalogue FREE. Write to day. 
CENTRAL MiemOAN NURSERY, Kalamazoe, Mich. 
MtchioaWsMamfnothNurse*'ie9 
H IINDP 
TREES. iMlTarlttlii 
many Apples, Plums, Cherry, 
Eto., cheap. Catalogue free. 
WOODViEW NURSERR8. Ml. HOLLY SPRINGS. P* 
SUPERB 
DAHLIAS 
Pan-American Gold Medal' 
20 Kinds (my selection) ®1.| 
Purchaser’s selection $1 dz. & up. 
50U kinds, latest and best. Cat 
free. H.F. BUBT,Taunton,Mass 
CACTUS DAHLIAS 
300 varieties. Hardy Phlox, 100 varieties. Hardy 
Pompon Chrysanthemums, 60 varieties. 
Send for Catalogues. 
NORTH SHORE FERNERIES, Beverly,Ma88. 
GLADIOLI 
Our Motto: Quality First. We have 
however, a sufficient quantity to supply 
all demands. Send for Catalogue. 
ARTHUR COWEE, 
“Meadowvale Farm.” Berlin, N. Y. 
United States Grower and Representative 
of GROFF’S HYBRIDS. 
FREE! 
My new Illustrated Catalogue of shade, fruit and 
evergreen trees, flowering shrubs, etc., wholesale 
prices. Save agents’ commissions. Buy direct imm 
the Nursery. I pay the freight. EUGENE 0. 
PETERSON. Montrose Ni rserles. Montrose, N. Y. 
Trees, Plants and Vines 
Ornamentals, Shade Trees, Shrubs, 
Flowers—everything to make the home 
grounds beautiful. Fruit Trees, too. 
Send for Catalogue. 
STEPHEN HOYT’S SONS, 
New Canaan, Conn. 
I!i£ Hieley Peach. 
Hardy stock and very early. Fruit 
large, rich and creamy white with 
sun kissed blush. One of the very best 
varieties. Free catalog shows Mamie 
Kos «9 Elberta and many otlier 
— choice varieties. Write for it. 
Harrison’s Nurseries, Box29,Berlin,Md. 
WAUKEGAN NUI^ERIES 
- Evergreen and Ornamental Trees \ 
Fruit Trees, Shade Trees, 
Shrubs, Vines, Roses, Etc. 
► 
► 
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL 
R. DOUGLAS’ SONS, 
▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼ 
WAUKEGAN, ILL. 
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